Blogger of the week: Sarah Hinman Ryan

Sarah Hinman Ryan is the Times Union’s research director. She brings her sleuthing skills and knowledge of databases to our news stories every day. You could say she approaches an investigative story like a bloodhound on a trail… which brings me to her side gig. When she’s not tracking down information from sources we didn’t know exist, you might find her writing on our Dogs blog.

If you’re lucky, you have a colleague like Sarah; someone whose smarts and diligence makes your work shine. It’s a treat to work with her. OK, I’ll stop now. Meet Sarah.

Name: Sarah Hinman Ryan

Early years: I think my love of animals is a genetic trait. It all started when my parents let little Sarah keep that kitten she found…

What’s your work? I’m the news research director on the investigations team, which is a fancy way of saying I’m a journalist who specializes in using public-records and data-based reporting to look for patterns and connect the dots. I have a knack for what I like to call “forensic Facebooking” and “interviewing” electronic sources like court documents, property records or, as in the case of the recent “follow the money” investigation of the GlobalFoundries chip fab I did with business reporter Larry Rulison, taking a pile of 7,000 paper financial records and building a database that let me figure how who got the money and how they spent it.

The word ‘librarian’ seems to have fallen out of favor. Why is that? Unfortunately, people just can’t let go of the silly, so-yesterday stereotype of a mean lady with spectacles who wields a wicked “shhhh.” The New York Times ran a funny story called “A hipper crowd of shushers” that sums it up really well: “With so much of the job involving technology and with a focus now on finding and sharing information beyond just what is available in books, a new type of librarian is emerging.”

Desert island. Are you taking a dog or cat? That’s a tough one. I’m trying to decide who’s more likely to catch fish and share them with me.

What do you do when you’re not working? I enjoy traveling, reading and music.

You recently posted a blog about Petey, a pit-bull-mix puppy that was abandoned and later found by a good Samaritan. How is he doing? Petey has won the puppy lottery, thanks to the several dog lovers. He is in a foster home with another foster puppy and two grown dogs. The veterinary surgeon who examined him believes that his deformed paw may have been the result of an injury rather than a birth defect. While they figure out what to do, Petey is happily zooming around with his foster brother Samuel.

Speaking of animal protection, what are a couple big issues and how do we remedy them? Regarding animal welfare, which is intimately tied to human welfare and public safety, three issues jump out: animal overpopulation, irresponsible owners and an underfunded system that struggles to catch and punish animal abusers and prevent them from offending again. Based upon conversations I’ve had with many sources and my own analysis of data related to animal abuse, “dangerous dogs” and dog bites, I’ve concluded that the biggest first step is getting people to spay/neuter their animals, which animal welfare experts say could be helped along by increasing license fees for un-fixed animals. This would do wonders for public safety as well, as data shows that the majority of dogs bites involve un-neutered male dogs. Another great step would be cracking down on bad people who get animals for the wrong reasons and mistreat them, which is also a public safey issue.

Last year, Michael Vick, the professional football player who served federal prison for his involvement in dog-fighting, said: “I would love to get another dog in the future. I think it would be a big step for me in the rehabilitation process.” Your thoughts? I would like to believe his statement is more than a public relations ploy; I find it hard to do so. Back in October, I interviewed Rebecca Huss, the court-appointed law guardian for the “Vick dogs” while they were being held as evidence, after a talk she gave to students of HVCC’s animal advocacy program. (We have a local “Vick dog,” Jhumpa Jones, who was saved by Huss.) Linked from my blog post about it is the USDA inspector general’s report about the torture of the dogs at Vick’s kennel. What you’ll learn from the report is that, in addition to fighting and brutally breeding dogs, the man personally tortured pit bulls to death by hanging, beating and drowning them.

Why do you blog? Well, I’m very new to the blogosphere but, so far, I’m having a great time writing about a topic I’m passionate about and connecting with readers who share the same passion.

Where do you get your news? Where don’t I get my news! I confess that I’m a news junkie. In addition to reading the TU in print and online, I go on the web to read news from the other Capital Region newspapers and TV stations, the New York Times, BBC, Al Jazeera, NPR, CNN, Wired, Mashable, Laughing Squid, and the list goes on and on.

What’s the best thing about blogging? It’s fun to have an idea and then go write about it.

What’s the worst thing about blogging? Worrying that my post won’t be interesting enough. Or that only two people, three including me, will read it.

Whose blogs would you love to read? I would love to read a blog by my great grandmother, Marguerite Swizter Carse, who was one of the first female journalists in the Midwest when she wrote for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in the late 1800s.

What advice would you give to other bloggers? Relax and have fun. Don’t worry too much about crafting the perfect post.

What books are you reading? I love historical fiction and crime novels. Recent books in my stack are “The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” by Katherine Howe and “Lethal Legacy,” a fantastic – and library related – police procedural by Linda Fairstein.

Are you ready to give up ink-on-paper books for a tablet? No, I think I’ll always enjoy a mixture of print and digital media. I guess I’m an info-omnivore. If I’m sitting on the couch on a Sunday morning, I want the print newspaper. If I’m flying on a plane or sitting in a coffee shop, I want my smartphone or laptop.

What’s your favorite pizza? Thin crust with lots of veggies.

What’s most played on your iPod? I’ve been on a big Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin kick lately. I also listen to a lot of classical music and ambient/electronic music. (Am I the only one who knows who Kraftwerk is?)

Favorite local blogger? Why? I love the “A history of here” blog, written by Akum Norder. She is such an interesting an engaging writer.

Favorite movie? Either “Wings of Desire” or “Until the End of the World,” both by Wim Wenders.

Favorite restaurant? In the Capital Region: The Miss Albany Diner or New World Bistro. On the West Coast: The Herbfarm in Woodinville, about a half-hour north of Seattle.

Favorite place to get away from it all? Places with lots of trees and sky.

Coffee or tea? Both, but in the correct order. The magical beans known as coffee are a requirement in the morning. I just can’t start the day with tea for some reason. Tea is an excellent afternoon drink.

Favorite ice cream? Mint chocolate chip.

Favorite late-night snack? Honey-Nut Cheerios

Your hero? All of the members of my family.

Favorite quote? “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Emerson